How to deep clean a garden pond! Everything you need to do and know!

[@corq]

Can we talk about how reassuring Matt is, for tackling the scary parts of new enthusiast pond management before it's even asked? Also: his garden is *lovely*!

[@FishShopMatt]

Thank you so much! Even if I make the process easier for a few people it's a win in my book.

[@Pud26]

​@@FishShopMattSpeaking of books, have you ever thought about writing one? Kind of like an analogue fish files with a few purpose made scapes for some of the most popular fish in the hobby. With your experience, knowledge and skill it would be a great resource to have whenever someone wants to stock their new tank. I bet you could get the funds with a Kickstarter or something. Either way, love your channel so as long as you keep making things I'll keep watching! Cheers from down the road in Plymouth 🎉

[@madaboutmilitaria3630]

This channel is turning into one of the best channels on KZbin, won’t surprise me if Discovery try and sign you👍

[@FishShopMatt]

Wow, thank you! You never know what the future holds!

[@nita_Entertains]

I could see the it now. The Wild Thornbury’s pops into my mind tho 😂

[@Vincent-kx9ze]

Agreed: his garden is lovely. (He reassures his American audience by saying “vacuum .” I reassure the British audience by using “lovely.” And, really, isn’t “lovely” a lovely word to emphasize is today’s rather stirred up social media?) Great job Matt. Love all the life and the grounded advice.

[@FishShopMatt]

Thank you so much and your comment is lovely! 💜😜

[@cindyjohnsen326]

Caddisflies show that your ecosystem is great in that pond. Your yard is beautiful!!

[@FranNoesse]

Wow, Matt, This is you in your stride! Excellent video.

[@FishShopMatt]

Thank you so much!

[@TylaH01]

As if I couldn’t love your channel enough you start making pond videos! I’m so happy! 😆🥳👏🏽

[@Warhawk107]

Matt, wasn't there an employee/friend of yours that had a huge above ground metal pond with a viewing window put in their backyard? I remember the first (and only video) with that on MD's channel ages ago. Was there ever a chance for an update with that?

[@garageaquatics2023]

That sounds familiar. Martin maybe? ~Ron

[@angiebear8727]

I remember that also. Maybe he just didn’t want to be on KZbin 🤷🏼‍♀️ Don’t know if I’d want to

[@wirtification]

I think it was Martin? I'd love to see a follow-up on that one.

[@madaboutmilitaria3630]

I’ve asked the same, hope it happens it looked awesome.

[@FishShopMatt]

Yeah there has been a few set backs with the pond with piping and stuff but it is running now. I'll see if I can do a follow up video at some point.

[@garageaquatics2023]

Spring has sprung! Your yard looks fantastic. It's really filled out since the last time you took us back there for that little above-ground pond you set up. We occasionally get rains like what you described - more sand and silt than water falling from the sky. Blows me away every time. I guess that's something to be expected here in the desert. We used to live closer to the coast and had a garden very similar to yours. It's so much different out here now. I do miss all the variety of plants I had then, so I'm living vicariously through you in your backyard. Also, a very great rundown on pond maintenance. Cheers, Matt! ~Ron

[@FishShopMatt]

Thank you so much Ron! Yeah the pond goes crazy as soon as a bit of warm weather appears. Hopefully I can help you not miss your old plants.

[@garageaquatics2023]

@@FishShopMatt Thanks, Matt! Cheers!

[@user-hq6ds6ty8g]

Hi from Kentucky. I really appreciate your diversity and your user-friendly method of execution. I learned so much and I saved it so I can view it again later.

[@FishShopMatt]

Great to hear! Thank you so much!!!

[@laurengoddard8687]

How gorgeous is your garden and pond!! What a great spot to sit and relax and the wildlife is loving it as well. Great video Matt! Love your channel.

[@aidandalton7404]

Monty Don the second...lol. You should be a presenter on TV Matt. Apply for any TV vacancies you see. 👍

[@FishShopMatt]

Hahahaha I'm not sure I have the knowledge of the Monty but I will take the name Pondy Don

[@robvanopstal4548]

Monty is a class of it's own😎

[@aaronhedger3478]

Matt...you're like the modern day David Bellamy...love it. 😊

[@December28-ff7ou]

The fly 😂

[@FishShopMatt]

It nearly got cut but I knew people would find it funny hahaha

[@debfalcon]

10:22 The fly steals the show! LOL

[@FishShopMatt]

Hahaha that's why I had to leave him in

[@WakashanWoodsAnimalHabitat]

I enjoyed the video a great deal because I love seeing others’ ponds, but I almost cried when I saw that nice mature pond water leaving the pond, and all the accumulated beneficial microorganisms with it.😢

[@JackBrown-q5f]

I dont even have a pond but i watched all of this video. Love your videos matt

[@gillianwalker6971]

Your garden and stream is my idea of Heaven

[@FishShopMatt]

Thank you!

[@MJAquariums]

Yay! Really look forward to your vids Matt! The thumbnail for this was great, looked very Liliputan!

[@FishShopMatt]

Hope you enjoyed it! I climbed onto my roof with a camera to get the photo hahaha.

[@MJAquariums]

@@FishShopMatt haha, well thank you for risking your life for our viewing pleasure! :)

[@jakobraahauge7299]

You truly have a magical gem of a garden - and amazing hair! A few little notes on weeds in a garden - weeds means "unwanted" - that's really it. Some of our native species will be overwhelming for a reason - the dandy lion grows where the soil is compacted and the available calcium is low. It will fix that problem for you, and like a diatome "outbreak" it's a relatively brief phase until the aforementioned issues are balanced out - stinging nettles grow where there soil is too rixh in nitrates It too will gradually deal with that. The best way to speef up the process is to remove just the rich greens of stinging nettles. I suggest eating it! It's very healthy, very nutritious counting both as green, yellow, orange, and red vegetables in a nutritional sense, as it is exceedingly rich in micronutrients and a wide variety of types of dietary fibres,that our gut microbia need to stay healthy, sturdy, and balanced. So Blanche or fry the leaves, let 'em cool, chop' em up, and use like you'd use spinach, kale, and similar leafy greens. They make for a delicious omelette! Many of those things we just identify as "weeds" tend to be rather hard pressed local species, that a lot of our microfauna depend on - and by all means? Isn't a varied greenery with delicate flowers, and an abundance of beautiful critters more pleasing to the eye than drab barren, burnt "soil". No bad remarks on your garden, sweetest Matt - your garden is beautiful, lush - s true gem! And I would be wrong to tell you that it looks anything but healthy, great for the greater of our hard pressed nature - and most close to my heart; a marvellous place for a child to learn to appreciate the wonders of nature and all the beautiful living creatures, that we're so lucky to share our world with! 💚🤗 Love your garden, the wonderful stuff on your channel, and all the useful things I learn from you! Lots of love from Denmark 🤗

[@FishShopMatt]

I will give you a tour of my garden on a future video as most of my flower beds are mostly what people would suggest are weeds. I let most things grow and just manage their size and make sure one doesn't take over completely. I pockets plant species I want in amongst the weeds and again manage what happens to everything. Thank you so much for your comment! 💜💜💜

[@faedoyle4147]

Lovin’ on you from Louisiana and this is so inspirational and I am so doing this and using what you’ve done as a guide. ❤❤

[@lynnkarpati413]

Thanks for the informative video Matt! I am going to tackle making a pond in my backyard this year and it was great to see the maintenance involved!!

[@Jen-w1i]

Great video seeing your backyard pond. Seeing all the greenery after the winter is the best part!

[@rettag2020]

Absolutely LOVE the pond! That sound is so relaxing 😌 you need a hammock beside it ❤️

[@tinchytarantula]

Yes who doesn't love a good pond video

[@thechickvoice]

Hello from Colorado!! Love your videos. When my father was in his 80s, his huge pond in the backyard had not been cared for in years. I had to hire a company and there was literally a foot of muck in the bottom. It was a nightmare! Your pond looks lovely.❤❤

[@FishShopMatt]

Hello! 👋 I've been involved in cleaning out ponds that sound very similar to your dad's and it isn't fun hahahaha.

[@pim4686]

I need to clean my pond out this year and had no idea pond vacuums exist. It'll make a huge difference on that project. Thanks for sharing more information about aquatic stuff again!

[@FishShopMatt]

Glad to help

[@moxi9064]

Great video, Matt! Really beautiful stream and pond you've got there👌

[@Diospyros1985]

Marsh marigolds! Those grow in forested wetlands around me. Such an awesome plant!

[@FishShopMatt]

Oh wow that's cool! They're a lovely plant.

[@evilone543]

I will be starting my first pond this year. I say pond…, but it’s more of a large tub. I’ll expand on stuff slowly as I learn along the way. I don’t really have much room and I have no shade at all.

[@JCK81]

Can I just say how jealous I am that everything in your garden is so green!? I'm over here in Canada and the only thing that's green right now is the quack grass! Great video and lovely garden Matt.

[@karacline686]

I just had that same thought.... from North Dakota.

[@miniscenesgb]

really helpful Matt. Thats a lovely little pond area

[@FishShopMatt]

Thank you so much!

[@MandyJane123700]

Your pond plants are really beautiful! That lily taking over the filter is spectacular... but if anyone wants plants in their filter that do not have such invasive roots, you can plant stem plants like bacopa and rotala. They will do the same job without clogging up the filter. If you want to save some money on bio filtration, you can use lava rocks from the landscaping section of the store. Everything that is specifically sold for ponds is so expensive, but there are lots of DIY things that are much cheaper.

[@mypreciousgarden]

I guess one has to wash those lava rocks before using them ?

[@MandyJane123700]

@@mypreciousgarden Yes, they are filthy!

[@FishShopMatt]

Thank you! Yeah very true I had a plant called Veronica in there before which is very similar in growth to those you mention.

[@joeymissall4896]

So happy that you’re able to do what you love man, and the content has been great. Keep it up! 👍🏼😊

[@FishShopMatt]

Thanks! Will do!

[@Melissa.1989]

Loved this video ❤ love the educational aspect and just your low key and chill cadence. Is very relaxing. Your pond is beautiful!

[@FishShopMatt]

Thank you so much! I appreciate your comment.

[@kimcirtwill6077]

I love your pond! I’m a touch envious. One of these days I’ll build my own.

[@FishShopMatt]

Thank you! You should it's great fun!

[@LaBeLsDistracted]

Thanks for sharing!!! Hoping this will convince my wife to let me build my own in the back garden!! 🪴

[@barbkrienke8400]

I love your pond!!! I loved your porch pond episode too!! I really want to build a pond some day, and you help make it seem less daunting!

[@clarencejackson5284]

I like that water test kit

[@FishShopMatt]

It's very very easy to use.

[@SubmergedDesignzStudio]

Thank you so much for continuing to inspire me to grow my channel. I love your content and quirky personality!

[@FishShopMatt]

You are so welcome! Good luck!!!

[@marks7171]

Great video Matt. I think the calmer style works. Cheers

[@FishShopMatt]

Thanks 👍

[@frankcapel4557]

Matt, awesome video buddy love the way the backyard is looking. The pond looks amazing love watching all your content. Did you ever get those hummingbird feeders out? See you in the next one

[@michaeljames6434]

Could you please make a video on putting house plants in the top of you aquariums like the best ones and how you are attached then

[@Lilyflowergirl98]

Beautiful, love those grasses really vibrant. Thanks for the water tip, not gonna use rain water anymore might explain the total explosion of algae that I've got at the moment lol

[@FishShopMatt]

Thank you! It's something where knowledge is power. I mix rain and tap as I say but knowing that rainwater could be the cause of algae is one step to knowing how to battle it. Sometimes rain is perfect sometimes it's not.

[@sbkpeace.24]

Yes! More pond content 👍🤓

[@FishShopMatt]

More to come!

[@sbkpeace.24]

@@FishShopMatt awesome! Taking photos during the video and also posting them after is a cool idea 👏

[@Dekraakjes]

i like your garden and pond

[@FishShopMatt]

Thank you!

[@TankItEasySG]

So much learning on your channel!!! Amazing!

[@jakobraahauge7299]

You're just so wholesome, dude! 💚

[@FishShopMatt]

Thank you! 💜

[@jakobraahauge7299]

@@FishShopMatt Most (!) welcome

[@mcbabs7495]

Un grand merci à vous pour la vidéo!

[@FishShopMatt]

Thank you so much!

[@clairejackson7809]

I’ve got a pond dedicated to newts, and there’s about a dozen of them. Would love to keep them in an aquarium or paludarium in the future

[@FishShopMatt]

That's super cool!.

[@Babyluthi]

Excellent vid🙂 Loved the critters💙🐟🐠🐡

[@FishShopMatt]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@megmills4798]

O this is so timely hello hope you and family are well😊

[@FishShopMatt]

Very well thank you! Hope you're well too?

[@megmills4798]

@@FishShopMatt yes I am hoping to get after pond soon

[@megmills4798]

I have a frog I have learned from you how to keep him going😊

[@suewestby824]

Love the sounds in your garden ❤

[@FishShopMatt]

Thank you!

[@Madly98]

Loved this video!

[@FishShopMatt]

Thank you!!

[@littleshopintheshed]

Beautiful! So jealous of your plants. We have Fucias but they are in hanging baskets and maybe last 2-3 years if you bring them inside in the winter. Well done

[@jamesnunn7181]

You should get yourself some ‘Hardy Fucias’ they stay outdoors can tolerate hard frosts, they die back but then regrow sometimes huge all in a year. They are more like woody shrubs than the little tender hanging basket ones. X

[@FishShopMatt]

Thank you! This is a hardy fuschia that I inherited when I moved in.

[@justbaquatics2512]

Looking good Matt

[@FishShopMatt]

Thank you!

[@cut419ram]

Great video! I've run a small 40 gallon for while now and it definitely needs a cleaning more often then 4 years. The pond was my first dip into the fish world actually and now I have several aquarium tanks in my house. I only have a sponge filter and some air bubblers. Plants, espcially floters, are required to keep algae at bay (it grows on the side walls of the pond which is a plastic). I use duckweed and frogbit as I find that suites for the smaller size. I've used water lettuce in the past but gets too big imo. I also now have two potted plants in the pond, Louisiana Iris Bog Plant (Dixie Deb) and a water poppy. I didn't hear mention of it but aren't you supposed to check/control phostates as well as nitrates in a pond? I typically have more phosphates in the pond then nitrates (which usually is at zero). There are only 8 rosy red minnows in there right now. There's also a whole bunch of toad tadpoles since about 2 weeks ago. Matt, do you do water changes/top offs? I assume not much water changing unless you have fish.

[@allonewordcaps]

😊 looks great. Happy spring!

[@FishShopMatt]

Thank you! You too!

[@Aquarium_Fantasy-HF]

What a gorgeous garden 😍. Soon ill be making my own ponds but first i need that green paper 😢

[@FishShopMatt]

Thank you, start small and build up. My garden wasn't built in a day and I'm still changing it now.

[@marcust123]

Great video mate keep smashing it

[@maurinedoyle9964]

Lovely

[@FishShopMatt]

Thank you!

[@rebeccaampuero2347]

Great explanations as always. Your garden is a wonderful natural area. I bet Quinn loves playing out there. If you have mosquitoes, which are horrid where I live, I can recommend mosquito fish for eating mosquito larvae.

[@FishShopMatt]

Thank you! Luckily we don't suffer with those sorts of bugs too much.

[@rebeccaampuero2347]

@@FishShopMatt I'm jealous!! Charleston, SC is located in the Low Country of South Carolina. It's all swamps. We have everything from huge mosquitoes to tiny gnats called "no see'ems" that led one columnist to declare that the air has teeth.

[@iamhueyjohn]

Pond contentttt 🤍

[@FishShopMatt]

Whoop whoop! 💜

[@trudyrantall9692]

Another great informative video, thanks Matt. Keep up the good work!

[@mikefoster5045]

Great Video. It looks fantastic!

[@Thomas-lr5kw]

Hey Matt, i always liked you since the first time i saw you in an m.d. video years ago in your fish suit😂. Glad to see you are doing your own thing and it works! I love your content! One question: what's your take on using ground water in your pond? I live in the Netherlands at the divide between the sand and the clay grounds and get my water from about 30 meters deep, it is not totaly clear though.

[@OldGirlPhotography]

I'm curious how much debris you did find in the pond. Is the pond vacuum powerful enough to suck it all up? That's my big challenge. I can and do manage the filter/pump as you describe, but haven't come up with an easy to execute solution for the muck. Tried a Shop Vac that supposedly could handle water - it couldn't handle the water and muck. So I scoop mostly, which agitates it all and creates more of a mess. Thanks for sharing this. Your pond is amazing.

[@bradleykasaboski4754]

Amazing video 😁

[@Andy.C1993]

Great video pal can ypu do a preformed liner pond or info im doing mine this weekend

[@93kristof]

Would be nice to do some A/B testing to see if these sludge and filter bacteria actually do anything.

[@pandugofast]

pond friendos! poggies

[@FishShopMatt]

I love pond friends.

[@nakikiish]

When will wee see you on Gardeners world 😊😊🎉🎉❤❤

[@FishShopMatt]

Hahahaha I'll send them an email

[@jenat82]

I have hard unchlorinated tap water. I can't imagine that is bad for a pond that is slightly on the acidic side.

[@danielmerrell8926]

what you will find though is that you can have a load of algae in your pond and your levels still test almost zero as the algae is absorbing the nitrates as fast as they are being produced

[@marksmall8692]

Should ponds be ideally located in a sunny or shady spot? Asking for a friend?

[@-AndrewR]

👍🏻👍🏻

[@mathewhull5557]

'OOO, Pond Fwiend' 😂

[@angiebear8727]

Does this freeze solid in winter? I’m fairly certain it would where I live without some sort of heater

[@dickiedavis5240]

I live (I think) about 30 miles from Matt. I'd be surprised if his pond ever freezes over with the moving water. My still pond sometimes gets a layer of ice for a day or two, but seldom any longer than that

[@FishShopMatt]

We get a bit of ice form but very rarely freezes over solid. You can use pond heaters that keep a little area of ice free.

[@alanthecat59]

😻

[@gregorybrys1750]

What's the name of the plant in your filter?

[@FishShopMatt]

zantedeschia aethiopica or the arum lily is its comment name. Comes out in cool white flowers!

[@Shaden0040]

you need to add some cold water fish that will eat the algae and also will eat the detritus there are insects you can add that will help eat the detritus not insects but crustaceans arthropods they'll eat the detritus out of the system but they make more waste as well. The only thing that really combats nitrates Are plants more plants you have growing out of the water and in the water the better. I guess the ph is important if it's getting too acidic you can always add calcium carbonate rock that will slowly dissolve it'll make your water harder overtime but it will reduce the acidity. now if you do water top ups one of the things you can do is to overflow so the excess water drains out into a drain or into the ground which should probably be the best and that will flush out your system a bit if you want to use well water to do that not tap water because it's got the chlorine in it which can form chloramides with any ammonia in the water Which I know you know all this stuff. If you have fraud in your area encourage them to come and lay eggs their eggs will have to form catapults catapults eat algae like you wouldn't believe salamator catapults as well eat algae if you want to encourage them place a lot of rocks and wood there's weathers plants around your pond to encourage hiding spaces for them to go to once they hatch and emerge out of the water as full grown frogs and salamanders and toads. I find one of the biggest problems that people don't make their ponds deep enough to begin with they should be at least five to 10 feet deep and you should have ledges around the outside at about the halfway mark five feet that when you step down into it you could actually set up steps leading down to that platform which then you can reach the bottom within that to clean it out you definitely want to have at least some type of fish in there that will eat up the detritus or the creatures that feed on the detritus and it will also feed on the algae being in English I don't know what fish are available to you that are native other than coy which are dirty fish they're beautiful but they're dirty And when they spawn forget it they make a lot of ammonia when they spawn then they make thousands of more coy which could overwhelm your pond unless you have a predator in there that's going to take out most of them like 99% and then some three or four coil would probably be the limit for any small pond and then you have to watch your washout for small coy being born you want to encourage dragonfly larva and damsel fly larvae larva which will hunt down the fry and eat them and then some slightly larger fish that will eat them too of course you want to make caves and other hiding spots that birds don't get them all but if you see a heroin or a crane of anything like that land in your property and eat the fish eat happy most of the time they'll be going up to tide poles and frogs but they will eat some of the fish too. So the good plans to put in are irises but they can take over the pond too So you have to cut them back I cut a mouse to the roof so the rye zones and check them away or give them to neighbors to place their ponds or in the yard to grow cause they do spread fairly quickly if you take a pad that's got 5 fingers on it within two years it will be 1/2 circle with another 2 three years it'll be a full circle and it'll keep spreading out from there Aquatic plants that are merged from the water are fantastic those do the best Those suck up the most nutrients and the most axis to oxygen and carbon dioxide you process those nutrients. she want to add things like Arrowhead and other floating plants or plants that have little guys those were good because they too old were exposed to the oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which is easier to take out than out of the water it's easy to absorb those chemicals than just having it under the water el idea helps to a point sagittarius is good bottom plant as well as Bella scenario which most of those plants can take the cold foreign award also is good Which map to make sure it comes from your local area so that it's endemic to the weather and climate. Piggrollyed is also a good plant for the aquarium of your pond You should have tall bags of purple flowers all summer long We also want to encourage turtles put a big rock in the center where the turtles climb out and bask And feel secure I'll say you want to log in there that they can crawl up on and get out of the water to the shore That would be huge logs good size branch Will do.

[@moeinatiabi5834]

😍😍

[@megmills4798]

I have fish😊

[@Warhawk107]

First!

[@FishShopMatt]

Congratulations 🎉

[@juanitahamilton9523]

✨✨✨👍👍☀️

[@_MikeJon_]

Why not put some feeder goldfish in there?

[@FishShopMatt]

This one is just for wildlife but watch this space for future fishy content.

[@julivee9505]

Distracted by a hoveryly😂😂😂😂

[@Eddie-fr4sh]

Second 😂

[@FishShopMatt]

Hahaha congratulations 🎊

[@stevecooper6653]

It’s a younger David Attenborough 🤷

[@jamesnoonan7450]

I hate to say it, but I watch this channel only now. I've stopped watching MD because his content has become so repative. Matt does different ideas and even animals, something I personally really enjoy.

[@robvanopstal4548]

Like to see/hear you Matt. Much learned for my aquariums!

[@robvanopstal4548]

Here also...i don't look at MD anymore...he is so full of himself...

[@jamesnoonan7450]

@robvanopstal4548 he is full of himself and has lost any sense of relatablility. He posts the same repative content over and over and over week after week. He isn't changing anything up. The huge tank he bought was the final straw for me. He had the opportunity to do something totally new and different. Try keeping something new successfully. Goldfish, sting rays, etc, but nope. The same island design was over planted and just replicated three times and filled with the same old fish.

[@FishShopMatt]

Thank you. MD has always said he enjoys that style of tank the most and it works for him. For me having different styles of tank and pond keeps my mind active.

[@jamesnoonan7450]

@FishShopMatt I'm certainly not trying to hate Matt, I just prefer what you're doing in the scene compared to MD. I feel as though his content is becoming extremely repative, and as another commentor has said, he's incredibly full of himself, something that was never apparent when he first started. Either way, please keep doing what you're doing, Matt, And stay humble.

[@claudiaadamez2865]

Hi Matt, first of all, I luv ur stuff, it's high quality. I was wondering if ur coming to aquashella Dallas, I would really like to meet u. Keep up the great work. ❤️

[@judyallinson1281]

❤